Avatar: The Psalms of Spirits
by Rynnescent
Summary: Currently Suspended. Two years after the events of Sozin's Comet, a strange presence appears before the world. There is far more at stake however as Aang loses more than he can imagine this time around.
1. Voices

**Avatar: Psalms of Spirits**

Chapter One – Voices

By: Rynnescent

**Disclaimer:** As much as I wish I could... I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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**Location: Fire Nation Prison – Outskirts of the Fire Nation Capital**

It was a prison; it was supposed to be dark and silent. It was supposed to have been a place where one would not want to be. It should not have been a place, for those who had committed wrong, were to be allowed happiness. For the very most part, it should have very well been hell while one was still alive. Perhaps that was not how all chose to see it, but it was nothing short of that very example towards one individual in particular. The cell was quiet to the point where a guard might have believed a prisoner to be dead; yet the slight twitch of movement through cramped and aching fingers proved otherwise. It was simple to say that perhaps death would have been more welcome to the prisoner; surely any place would be better suited than here, where she was nothing more than thought of as the regular, filth that grew upon the walls or resided around the abysmal bathrooms. The fingers had twitched once more and the arm they were connected to moved slightly causing a slight ringing to echo within the trapped one's ears. The ringing noise came from the movement of chains, in which bound the criminal; bound to the wall that held its victims tightly so.

There was the faintest moan that signified that the prisoner was female and her head lifted slightly as she seemed to return from what might have been sleep. Her eyes fierce even though for one such as herself, it meant very little; here she could not be feared as she once was outside of these walls. Within those fierce eyes also like the look of anger and grief. She despised what had become of herself… and she despised those who had placed her here. There were many to be honest, but only a short few registered as the main culprits. A small group as they had been all those years ago. Perhaps they still were but she could hardly care; it would only be easier once she was free of this place to kill them all. Let them be together so that when she was free, she may tear them apart. Two years later and all that was upon the once princess' mind, was revenge.

"They will all pay… especially that water tribe peasant."

_You wish to return to what you once were, Princess?_

Her head had turned fiercely as she glared around the confines of the cell. No one… It must have been her imagination, simply playing tricks on her again. Her dear brother had said she was going insane; tch, what did that fool of a traitor know, though?

_You wish to avenge yourself and the Phoenix King for having all you desired, taken from you._

Her reaction was not as the first; the words, even if they were part of her imagination spoke the truth. There was no sound for a moment, before she whispered her answer: "Yes."

_I am in need of your power, my princess. I will give you your chance to do so as well as the ability to do it, if you will aid me in my goal._

Her head lowered slightly. She had not been called such in years; the feeling that came with such words being spoken to her was primarily shock. She was overcome with a feeling of confusion, primarily because she understood nothing of why this was only happening now. It must have surely been her imagination… a trick… something. This could not be suddenly happening to her now. Why would such things present themselves as easily and on a silver platter as this did?

_Because I need you, my princess. There are things that only you can do and I desire them done for the greater good of this world._

"... what is it that you want from me?"

_In due time, you will learn of them all, but your greatest accomplishment will be that of killing the Avatar._

She could hardly hide her shock at the words, yet she shook her head. Her teeth ground hard against each other as she grew wild and was suddenly struggling against her chains. "Do not toy with me… my own father could not defeat him during the Comet's appearance. You would only be sending me to die in such an attempt."

_In time, the Avatar will be nothing but a mere child. Are you to imply that you cannot handle, even that much, my princess?_

Her voice still held within the whisper that was as sharp and menacing as she could possibly produce; "stop insulting me. If I help you… you will make things right for me?"Her eyes lifted upward toward the ceiling of the cell as if she believed she was speaking out to a God.

_Beside me is where you shall be once my plan is fulfilled; higher than the Phoenix King and stronger than such, even without the comet over yonder. _

"What did you mean by the Avatar being nothing more than a mere child?"

_That is something you need not worry about, right now. If you are to do my bidding, then everything will fall into place for you._

"Release me then; I will serve you until the time where I can stand beside you."

**Location: Ba Sing Se – Council's War Room  
**

Impossible... It seemed to be the most fitting word that could come to mind in a situation like this. Yet even as the word was repeated over and over within the mind, there was no changing the fact that it was truly happening. He was unsure as to why he was thinking this way to be honest; more than anything, he should have been happy that it was all finally happening. He should have been proud of the events that had taken place; it was just… difficult, to finally accept that everything was truly going to be alright. Difficult to accept that after being gone for one hundred years, the 'young' Airbender and Avatar, Aang had been able to return and bring balance to the world. He had returned and witnessed what his disappearance had done to the world; a world ruled by fear and chaos… yet he had changed all that and now he was here, witnessing the treaty between the four nations.

"Avatar Aang, what are your opinions on the finalization of the treaty?" The voice spoke with a hesitancy that was caused through doubt. As if anyone could bother to blame the elder however, as one took a glance upon the individual, which was indeed The Avatar. All heads turned to watch the nonchalant attitude of the young Airbender, who seemed only too busy, enjoying himself: the miniature sized ball of air spinning around in circles before him, vanished suddenly, as his attention seemed to have been caught finally.

The bald monk, blinked precariously as he glanced up to meet the gazes of many elders within the room; there was a slight tinge of embarrassment, though he could hardly be blamed for his actions, he thought. The process of perfecting this treaty had been underwent for the better part of a year now and it was with the greatest restraint, that the Airbender had not reverted to his previous ways of mischief in pulling pranks on the figures that seemed all too eager to drag this out, more than, he believed was honestly necessary. Throughout the entirety of the drawing up of the treaty of the Four Nations, these elders seemed to have focused their attention primarily on the Fire Nation… a fact that, though Aang could understand, was not too happy about. He had been too ready to speak for the nation but the prospect of tilting his 'allegiance' in the favor of the nation that was under rule of a great friend, did not seem to sit well, with others.

"My opinions… are that we have honestly spent more time than I believe necessary. It seems all rather unneeded, considering the position the Fire Nation is willingly putting themselves in to please the other nations, and that has been your biggest concern, hasn't it?"There was a slight murmur at his words, yet Aang thought nothing of it as he closed his eyes and continued. "I understand that you are still weary and quite rationally in doubt of Fire Lord Zuko, yet you have also taken no real consideration of my word regarding such. It is unfortunate to resort to such methods but I need remind you that it was Fire Lord Zuko who taught me Firebending, with which was very crucial to my defeating the previous Lord… or King, Ozai."

A continue of murmurs as they began to speak amongst one another. Aang knew along the lines of what they were saying; doubt and fear would not be so easily erased from the minds of most of these elders. Meanwhile, Aang's eyes opened to see the silent thanks of the two elders, which represented the Fire Nation. A small smile and nod of the head, before a sigh escaped him. Such a troublesome process this all seemed to be; it seemed as if this would continue for all eternity, though Aang was usually one to be prone, to such boring events as these. Yet, he had to be here. Not simply because he was The Avatar, but also because he was the only individual who could speak on behalf of the Air Nomad Civilization. Being the last Airbender, was never something Aang was particularly proud of; happy of course, he was that at the very least, his people had not died out completely; would it be likely that Aang could begin the reconstruction of the free-spirited nation?

His thoughts were interrupted at the slight "ahem" and Aang glanced to his left, in which an Earth Nation representative was glancing at him. It seemed as if they had perhaps reached a conclusion as the elderly woman glanced towards the others – all of whom gave her a nod of approval – and then back towards the spiritual figure beside her. "Regarding what you've said, Avatar Aang, we believe you to be right. We have spent far too long upon such matters as these, and for a while, us elders have unfortunately had slight doubt in whether your opinion might be biased or influenced. For this, we can only give our humblest of apologies, yet there is something, that we must confirm… if this sits well with you." It took only a smile from Aang, for a slight sense of relief to fall upon the room, and the elder spoke her request:

"If the time ever comes that the Fire Nation does not heed by the treaty and begins again, what many of us fear… will you stop them at all costs?"

It took a moment before Aang could process her words; this had been what they all feared of him? That if the Fire Nation were to begin another war, he would stand by them, instead of protecting the world? Did they really believe him so childish that he would choose his friend over the greater good of an entire world? Though he could hardly say the thought appealed to him, he could not help but close his eyes in disappointment; disappointment that there could be those who would doubt what was his 'sole' purpose. His duty was to the world, as he had been told time and time again. Even in his past life, this question had arisen when Avatar Roku stood against Fire Lord Sozin. This was no different; not in the least. A frown was clearly visible upon his face as he lifted his head and glanced around the room. It seemed that almost immediately, the room of elders – save for the Fire Nation representatives – regretted this question. It was too late however as one individual, this time a male of the Northern Water Tribe, was silenced before he could speak, by the raising of Aang's hand.

"If you have doubts of me, please rid yourselves of them. As Avatar Roku proved in the past, he was willing to stand against his best friend, Fire Lord Sozin, for the well being of this world. You have my word, that I will be no different if that time shall ever arise."

There was one thing that the elders could all be certain of: If the Avatar gave his word, there was no doubt, he would come through and fulfill it. There was a general rise in the voices as the elders agreed then that the treaty was to be accepted as it was. Following a slight applause and the shaking of hands, Aang watched as the elders left the sanctity of the conference room. The last to leave were the two representatives of the Fire Nation; one male and female who simply watched the young Airbender, before a slight smile came to their aged faces as they graciously gave their silent thanks a second time before departing. Aang could not help but give his own smile in return before nodding. The Avatar could hardly stand to do anything but smile as he found himself now realizing what he had just witnessed. The treaty was finally agreed upon… the world would finally realize the peace and love, which was meant to be. He could hardly wait to return to the Jasmine Dragon where everyone would be awaiting word from him. He wondered if Zuko had arrived from the Fire Nation, but he would soon find out as he stood, grabbing the staff at his side and turned his head, in the direction of the wide, open window.

"It's finally happened… the peace we all wanted is truly here now." His gray eyes gazed out into the open sky before he gripped his staff tighter, and leapt through the window; the wings immediately stretching out as the glider used the created wind from beneath him, to carry the young Airbender in a circle before heading off in the direction of the famous tea shop. It seemed as though nothing could possibly go wrong now.

_Is peace really what this world needs, young Avatar?_

The sudden words had caused Aang's head to rise instinctively, before he looked around, bewildered. Had he heard, what he thought he had, or was that simply a figment of his imagination? "What was that…?"

_I asked you a question; is peace what this world needs? Especially when the peace you propose comes in the form of the ridiculous treaty, the nations have placed together. Even you can see where flaws lie and yet, you've said nothing. Preferring to watch idly and be bored as their words render no importance to you. You are as they say, The Last Airbender, and even then, you are the Avatar; the spirit of the world, reincarnated in human form. You are supposed to be the individual that keeps balance within the world, but no balance will come from this treaty. All that you have done is allowed the three lesser nations to weaken the state and proximity of the Fire Nation; you have allowed the world to decline in its standards, whereas the Fire Nation upheld and garnered the proper idea._

It was all too much for Aang; the words… everything that was being said… he could hardly stand for it. He couldn't maintain his focus and he found himself plummeting quickly, without having noticed. Where was this all suddenly coming from? He understood nothing but at the same time, why did it feel as if everything that was said made sense in its own right? His eyes had clenched tightly; he could not come to terms and allow these words to be true. He had been doing the right thing, by allowing this treaty to take place; the Fire Nation would be strong… they held no objections to how the treaty was proposed and written.

_You are foolish to believe that the Fire Nation would ever truly be pleased with anything but what they had, throughout those hundred years. One hundred years of power and control, easily removed and shattered by you. While some may fool themselves into believing that this is proper, the Fire Nation resents you, Avatar Aang. They have despised you since the day you returned to this world; they prayed that you may never return to this world, you have now "liberated". You have taken away from them, that which made them special. They are simply as weak and powerless as the other three nations, which wished for your return. _

He had not been paying attention; his altitude had been increasingly lowering more and more since the voice began speaking to him, and before he held any chance of altering himself, Aang crashed. His glider fell away from him, as he roughly touched down upon the rooftop; his body tumbling without ease as he continued over the edge and found himself plummeting towards the ground. He could barely gather himself enough to open his eyes, before a sudden intake of oxygen was exhaled as his 'breath of wind' allowed him to halt mere feet from the ground. He hovered there for a second, allowing all his breath to be taken away, before he fell lightly onto his hands and knees. Where had this suddenly come from? Two years later, this was all appearing before him, as if to counter all that he had done since reawakening. What was worse was that it all felt true. That did not make sense to the Airbender; his beliefs had carried him to do what he thought was right. His friends stood by him through all that had transgressed and they were happy… proud of him. So what was it now that made, Aang suddenly feel as though all he had done was wrong?

_Do you feel the weight of pain upon your shoulders? The pain of all who lost so much, when you felt it necessary to return the world to what you believed was balance? These past two years have been nothing, but a wasted effort, is that not correct? You spoke to the elders about having spent so much time on something that should have been easy, but what did you really mean to say, Avatar? Do you realize what this treaty has done? Do you realize what you have done? Everyone is beneath you, Aang. Such was true before, but you have only brought the world lower and lower since you defeated, the Phoenix King. As was once said to you, "darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light." Your light has not purified since Ozai's time… The Avatar can be the only purifying light towards this world… because of what you have done, the world will fall into chaos once you are removed._

"Please… I don't understand…" There was a deep sense of urgency in his voice, yet nothing came in return as he knelt there on all fours. He had no idea. Absolutely no idea of what was to be done… what was meant by what he had listened to? It pained him to feel this way; to feel as though he now had no place within this world. What had he done wrong? He had truly believed that what was happening was for the best; had he somehow lost his way amongst these two years of silence? Because there had been no war to garner his beliefs and keep him strong… was he now traveling a different path, than he originally believed?

Why was his face suddenly wet? Why was he shaking? His fists clenched as he remained there; voices calling out to him, but they were shut out and too far for him to respond to. It took him a moment to gather what remained of him. There was a feeling of emptiness, but he could hardly allow it to remain about and in the open for all to see. He could not allow the world to see him like this; he was still… the symbol of hope in their eyes. Anything less of a positive attitude would give off the idea, that something had gone wrong within the confines of the conference room. In his eyes… something had, but he had no idea as to what that was. He needed help, yet he could not find himself turning towards those awaiting his return at the Jasmine Dragon.

He brushed his arm across his face; allowing for the sleeve of his robes to remove all traces of wetness, before he stood and sighed. His smile was far from genuine but it was only as he displayed such, that he noticed the large number of people surrounding him. It was embarrassing to know that he had lost his focus so much, that he had actually crashed. He wondered just how many had bared witness to the entire incident.

He hoped his smile would prove to be enough to set the minds of everyone at ease. He could not for some reason find the words or ability to speak and so, with another small smile, Aang leapt into the air and back atop the rooftop, to which, he found his staff awaiting him. Slowly he walked towards the slim object, and simply gazed down upon it, for a moment or two. He could not find himself willingly wanting to return to the skies; his head tilted back slightly as he glanced into the blue oasis above him and he allowed himself to be taken in for a moment, before his gray eyes vanished behind eyelids. His fists still clenched, he lowered his head and sighed.

"Why am I afraid…?"

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**Author's Note: **Well, here it is; the first chapter of Psalms of Spirits. I'm aware that things may seem a bit vague and I didn't necessarily get too into detail on many things here such as the treaty and the mysterious voice that's appeared to both Azula and Aang. I promise that it's all on purpose and those things will be highly focused upon in the next couple of chapters. (Especially the treaty) Anyways, I've come to realize that I made this a bit more dark than I had previously intended, and that I've also sort of jumped into a few things right away, (mainly with Aang's confrontation of sorts) At the moment, I have a ton of ideas going on through my mind for this and I'm trying to arrange things in a way that'll make the story flow more properly in the future, so if it seems a bit jumbled together, I hope you'll bear with me for another chapter or so of that.

Anyways, I hope this was more than enjoyable and it'd be great to get your opinions and views on how it seems so far. Second chapter is already under works, so I hope you're prepared for a few surprises here and there. There is much in store for Aang, and I'm hoping things won't seem too predictable. The story revolves around Aang taking a far different approach towards saving the world. That's really all I can say, so you'll just have to wait and see.

**Next Chapter: The Celebration **

_"__I offer you this wisdom, Aang. You must be decisive.__" – _Avatar Roku


	2. The Celebration

**Avatar:The Psalms of Spirits**

Chapter Two – The Celebration

By: Rynnescent

**Disclaimer:** I had a dream where I owned Avatar and all it's awesomeness... then Ozai blasted me back into reality.

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**Location: Ba Sing Se – Upper Ring: Rooftops**

Afraid… Aang had said it repeatedly in his mind as he sat at the edge of the rooftop, his hands propping up his head as he glanced off into the distance. What was most concerning was, what did he have to be afraid of in the first place? He had never once considered the thought of being airborne, something he should fear; he was an Air Nomad after all. It was like taking the very essence of whom he was and saying it did not exist. As if to top that off, he was the Avatar, right? A faint smile stretched across his face as he shook his head. He had always disliked using that excuse as a crutch for anything, and here he was, trying to convince himself that, being such was a perfectly good reason not to be afraid. It did seem rather out of place however that after all Aang had been through… flying would be upon his list of fears. All things considered, he should have been rather grateful for his ability to fly; it had come through for him on numerous occasions; such was the way of Airbending perhaps... it was in essence, a major factor of his lifestyle. His nomadic upbringing had a focus that was linked towards his Airbending; it defined him as who he was and shaped his actions. It was foolish of him hen to have assumed that his fear lay with the sky; – even glancing into the blue ocean above, the Airbender felt a wave of serene calmness overwhelming him – it was now that he had need to discover his true source of inner turmoil, and it was painfully obvious; perhaps to the point that, it forced Aang to want to place his fear within something else however, trivial and unusual it be.

What was causing him the most stressful amount of grief and insecurity was the voice that had rung through his ears. The sense of unwavering confidence that emanated from the voice as it tortured Aang's stability had done doing nothing but cast a shadow of doubt over him. Constant questioning of his own beliefs and choices were relentlessly attacking him; the Airbender could do nothing to rid himself of the pain wracking throughout the entirety of his conscious. His decisions had come t feel like a mistake, and as much as he pushed himself, to trust in himself and his past actions, it was far easier said than done. He could not however linger upon the rooftop as he was and work himself up. Not now… not when his friends and loved ones were awaiting the news of today's conference. He had only to think of them – their faces almost fresh within his mind as his focus stopped upon her – it allowed him to grow calm once more as he stood and turned his gray eyes in the direction of his destination. They were waiting for him… but what would they see when he arrived?

The prospect of telling them of it all… it concerned Aang that he would need to place his own fears and confusion upon them; more than anything, if this was something that would prove in greater time to be dangerous, he would prefer to keep them far from it. He would wish to protect them and keep them to himself. If they were to find out he kept this from them though, it would serve to do more damage than he could possibly imagine. It was not that they could not take care of themselves – that would have been the first contradiction brought against his reasons for being worried – but it was a chance, he would prefer not to take if he could manage. There were other matters that concerned him as well; his paranoia of the voice, reaching out like roots to take hold and shape his thoughts on what might not even occur.

_What will the others think, when I tell them?_ He already felt as though their worrying gazes were upon him; what would they think of him when he voiced his concern upon his decisions in the past few years? He was supposed to be the one who did not yield to such things; the Avatar…the one who felt no wavering in his decisions and stood by them. As if acting as a sort of trigger, Aang's mind honed in on a specific set of words, spoken to him: _"'I offer you this wisdom, Aang. You must be decisive.'" _Avatar Roku's words remained clear in his minds as his grip on his staff grew tighter; it should not have been this difficult. The voice shouldn't have had any hold or bearings over Aang. He had to be decisive. He needed to hold an unwavering faith that his decisions were the right ones. He could not allow his concern over such a matter show as he appeared before his friends; there was an uncertain finish to his own mental struggle as he inhaled deeply. _I can't tell them,_ he had decided. He would not allow mind games to disrupt the peace; he and this world were settling into.

"…this is for the best." It would trouble him, to keep things from them, but he saw no other direction, once he had 'convinced' himself, there was nothing to fear. He stood by this choice, without another word, he leapt into the air and spiraled higher into the sky, before directing himself towards the tea shop that was eagerly awaiting his return.

In the past two years, the Jasmine Dragon had become more popular, than one might have thought possible. Of course, who was to expect any less from Iroh, whose tea could have very well been the best in its time; the thought of speaking to Iroh about this, actually crossed Aang's mind as a decent idea to keep in mind. On countless occasions, the retired general had been known as a great source of wisdom; Aang happened to know this on quite the personal note, but he would wait until such a time, when he found it to be proper.

His take to the skies seemed rather effortless again, which he was pleased to discover. Happy that he really had been deceiving himself with a fear for the sky, he smiled his normal, goofy and wide grin. He could hardly imagine not being able to fly the skies anymore. It was a moment or two before the busy tea shop came into view; he could already see that they were there, sitting outside the shop and awaiting his return. He approached them, his facial expressions calm and content before he found himself circled happily by a flying lemur. His laughter could easily be heard from below as both Airbender and lemur maneuvered around freely, almost as if in a dance. As if responding to his joyous nature, the loud call of the sky bison filled the air as Appa lifted his head, noting the return of his companion.

It was good to be back home… good to return to such an elated and happy feeling; the eager faces watched him with smiles that reflected amusement and it was nice that he was able to go along with their happiness, so easily. He had circled around them once more before, he descended and closed his glider, permitting him to fall the rest of the short distance. Landing into a light crouch, Aang glanced at the smiling faces that approached him without haste.

Katara had been the first to reach him, and there had hardly been any time for reaction as he felt her weight crush against him, as he staggered back to keep himself upright. The embrace had quite literally surprised him, though he could hardly say he was not longing for her warm welcome. It was a moment before she stepped away from him and looked him over, as if immediately trying to see whether the young Airbender, was alright. Her instant assessment brought a slight hint of concern to his young features; Katara always had a way of reading Aang and at this juncture, that was the last thing he wanted. It seemed however, that maybe Aang might have been playing his role better than he originally thought as she smiled and stepped closer to him again, allowing her forehead to rest against his. After two years, it was a rather nice change that Aang had grown in height; he was now slightly taller than his lover, as he smiled faintly. She returned the gesture, and spoke loud enough for only him to hear: "Is everything alright? The meeting was said to have disbanded half an hour ago… I was almost worried something had actually happened to you."

For the most part, she wasn't wrong; something had happened, but Aang had already decided not to speak of the matter. It was not surprising however that she had indeed picked up on something troubling him. It did not aid him any that her blue orbs locked onto his own, gray eyes. It was almost as though his eyes were telling her the entire story and he knew that he would come to concede to her; it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep things from Katara these days – not that there was much to keep – her ability to pick up on things was almost magical and more simply because of the effect, that she had over him. Whether she was aware of it or not, Aang would rather not have known, but he was hoping that it was the latter of the two cases as he nodded slightly.

"Sorry for making you wait … I was just thinking about some things, that's all." Her gaze had turned inquisitive as she looked at him. She could tell there was far more within those words than he would have liked for her to know, yet he could have no time to regret saying them, as he finally took notice of the unusual vibrations he felt. Lifting his gaze from his love, he seemed to remember that the others were there as well; the blind Earthbenders tapping her foot in a manner that was sending a stronger vibration with every beat. Surprised at the subtleness, Aang felt the slight warmth rise to his face as he made to apologize.

"Okay, okay… as much as we all love the mushy feelings and display of affection, **I **really want to hear how things went." Sokka was strutting forward, seemingly dismissing the sentimental moment away with a slight 'wave' of his hands. His eyes turned curiously upon Aang, seemingly ignoring the glare of annoyance Katara was now giving him, as she rolled her eyes and sighed vehemently.

Aang nodded and sighed a bit himself, a bit relieved that he might put off explaining to Katara the problem, he felt he was already rid of. "Things went… well, as expected I guess. The treaty has been finalized and will be formally presented by myself within a month's time."

Sokka's brow arched before he smiled slyly. "And, and, and? Don't leave me hangin' here; what about the Fire Nation? What cruel conditions will they have to abide by, so not to provoke the Avatar's mighty wrath?" He laughed a bit as he amused himself; it was quite obvious that the mistreatment and punishing of the Fire Nation was truly all he was really interested in hearing about at the moment. Was there confidence in the fact that Aang would not let anything bad fall upon the other nations? Yeah, you could say that perhaps. It wasn't as if the world could get any worse than it was when the Fire Nation was ruling; all there was to do, was go up, so a lot of his time was spent on pestering Aang after every meeting on what sinister demands were being made. "Nothing personal against Zuko, but I know you've done me justice buddy, right?"

Aang could hardly help but be amused; how could anyone ever get tired of Sokka? There was a slight tinge of regret that dwelled in Aang as he now looked at the confident face of one of his best friends. Turning a glance back towards Katara with a look that could only be a plea for help, she smiled simply and leaned against his back, allowing her arms to wrap around his waist. This was both comforting and leaving Aang with no solution but the obvious truth as he turned his gray eyes back towards the eager Water Tribe warrior. "Well… to be honest, Sokka… –"

"You're totally out of luck, Sokka. Twinkle toes here totally didn't come through for us." Toph smiled a wry smile while shaking her head. Leave it to Toph be blunt and straightforward with things; Aang had intended to let Sokka down easily, but the suddenly dismayed and grim look from Sokka, showed that, there would be no chance of that.

"After all I've done for you Aang…? Are you telling me, that I got you out of that iceberg for NOTHING?!" The melodrama was now beginning as Sokka turned bitterly away from the Airbender and leaned against the shoulders of the Kyoshi Warrior – his girlfriend's – shoulder. A slight look of exasperation on Suki's face as she pat him on the back and shook her head.

Aang could only smile solemnly as he allowed that moment to sink in; oddly enough, Sokka had made him slightly bad, though he couldn't imagine why. There was nothing he would have been able to do anyways; that much should have been obvious from his first… ten attempts at trying to convince the Airbender. He couldn't have seriously held this false sense of hope still, could he? "Sokka? You're not seriously upset are you?" In his ear, he could hear the slight giggle of the Waterbending master, still holding onto him.

Sokka's head lifted slowly, before shooting a sidelong glance towards Aang; the false portrayal of grief and despair replaced with a contained fit of laughter that burst open as he smiled. "I knew all along I wouldn't get that lucky. You're supposed to bring balance and I'm talking about a three on one gang up and then who knows what kind of torture, Zuko'd put you through. Just interested in seeming you squirm buddy. Always a priceless moment for me."

Toph had joined in Sokka's laughter, while Suki seemed rather sympathetic as Aang frowned and looked away from the two. Always the gullible one, Aang seemed to be; that much had not changed. He however considered it better that he held a general concern for his friends' well-being. That was what he was attempting to call it anyways. The laughter continued on as Toph doubled over, clutching at her stomach and in the end, the young-at-heart Airbender, could not help but join in the festivity.

It seemed that Katara and Suki were the only mature ones left of the group as the two simply smiled at each other; their eyes seeming to convey a wordless communication before, the Kyoshi Warrior's gaze, suddenly drifted above, causing smile to immediately erase. Katara's own blue eyes followed as she seemed to grow tense at the sight lingering above them. "Aang…"

The tone in her voice had brought Aang's laughter to a halt out of concern. He turned in her arms, before following her gaze towards the sky; Sokka followed suit – while Toph grew slightly annoyed at the fact of something she could not see – to find a hawk circling overhead, much like a Tiger vulture might do to its prey. Upon closer inspection, the group noticed the Fire Nation Insignia upon gleaming upon the bird's back and immediately, it was recognizable as a Messenger Hawk.

Toph's annoyance grew slightly as she clenched her fists; "helloooo? Blind kid over here? What are you guys looking at?"

"It's a Messenger Hawk, Toph." Aang allowed his hand to reach upwards as if he could grab the bird, yet it slowly descended towards them. Much to the dismay of Momo, who immediately found herself entangled into a frenzy of sorts, before Aang's steady tone, allowed the lemur to escape further involvement. The hawk landed upon Aang's outstretched arm and he lowered it to take a better look at the compartment, attached to its back. Removing his other hand from Katara's waist, he removed the letter before smiling lightly and allowing the hawk to take off for its return journey.

Unrolling the parchment of paper, Aang read eagerly before his facial features hardened slightly at what was written. He read and reread through the letter before his hand fell and clenched tightly into a fist; the small note easily becoming crumbled, before he felt a warm hand fall over his.

"Aang? What's the matter? What's happened?"

"It's from Zuko… Azula' escaped."

It seemed as if everyone had simply stopped breathing; Katara was looking at him worriedly as the others gathered around, now more concerned and alert than they had been in a long while. She made to remove the letter, and smoothed it out before she read the letter, aloud:

_Avatar Aang,_

_It was not my intention, but I won't be making it to Ba Sing Se for what I hope was to be a celebration tomorrow. A problem has arisen concerning my sister. It disappoints me to admit to this, but she escaped from the prison a couple days ago. I'm sending you this as a warning and also because I fear for everyone's well-being but there's also more to it than that. I had thought that perhaps I should wait until after the celebration before expressing my concerns, but we don't have that luxury or privilege anymore. You need to know that she didn't just escape in the regular old fashion; what I mean is that her escape was not forced; her chains were not broken and according to the guards, no one visited her and I place my complete faith in the guards and do not believe any they would have released her. I can't see a motive towards it, and I can't fathom her stable enough to talk her way through manipulating so much. _

_You can understand the problem this presents for not only me but you; something is definitely wrong with the way this sounds and I'm concerned that there may be something worse in store… if she does not intend to come after me first, then I would assume you or Katara to be her target for obvious purposes. At the very least, That being said, stay on your guard at all times. I'm even going so far to suggest that you all journey to the Fire Nation Capital, my uncle included. There is motive in her attacking him, simply because he is family and he is upon our side. There's much we need to discuss that isn't proper for a messenger hawk to carry._

_Until we meet, take care, _

_Fire Lord Zuko._

Katara was seemingly speechless as the note slipped from between her fingers and fell to the ground. Only by Aang's slight twitch of his fingers, did the note lift slowly until it rested within his hand again. "Katara… are you alright? You should know that there is nothing for us to worry about; we're all together and Azula would never attempt to attack at us…" He was trying his best to sound convincing… but how well could that work for her, when Aang was having just as hard a time, with the revelation of Zuko's note as she was. His eyes glanced around at each of his friends individually; there was tragedy that had been brought forth with this sudden news; the worst seemingly coming from Suki who found herself in shock and shaking slightly, despite Sokka's embrace. Toph could find nothing at all that would turn this moment into a happier note; her head lowering before feeling Sokka's hand on her shoulder.

They understood the severity of this all; Azula was free and they were all her targets for revenge. What was worst was her mental instability that had come forth during the arrival of Sozin's Comet. Being imprisoned for two years could have served as nothing but time for the shackled princess to consider all her options… all the possible ways of tearing apart this group.

As stressful as the matter seemed, Aang would not allow all hope to be lost. "We shouldn't be like this." They had all glanced up at him, seemingly confused as he shook his head. "It would take days for this Messenger Hawk to reach us; enough time for Azula to have been apprehended before anything dangerous happened. We shouldn't assume for the complete worst until we arrive in the Fire Nation Capital. Zuko didn't send this letter to place fear in us…" he said, calmly. "He simply wants us on our guard and we are. I for one will not let anything happen to us. We'll get through this and see Azula behind bars again, soon."

There was little to no response before Katara rested her head against his shoulder; her grip around Aang's waist tightening as he let his hand brush across the side of her cheek, in comfort. The message was crumpled again as the Airbender's fist clenched. Toph was pulled closer as he frowned and gazed off into the sky; there was the slight sniffle that came and went as Suki lifted her head slightly to stare at the rest of them, while Toph remained quiet and tense. Her fists clenched as she refrained from showing any sign of weakness. Aang knew he had not erased all of their fear; his words had not completely consoled them, but they would stand together through this.

"I guess the celebration is off then, huh?" Sokka's voice harbored no hint of teasing or humor as he simply turned his eyes upon the Air Nomad, who returned his stare.

A slight, solemn smile appeared upon Aang's face as he found that Sokka's attempt – if that was what it was – was not so wasted in Aang's opinion. "No. I think that if Azula is still free, we will eventually become her targets. Zuko also realizes this which is another reason, why he wants us to return to the Fire Nation."

"He's trying to prevent Ba Sing Se from becoming a battleground." Toph's voice had suddenly sprung forth in the simple statement.

Aang nodded and frowned slightly, "two years have been put into the Treaty of the Four Nations. If Azula were to attack, doubt would certainly fall upon the Fire Nation, more so than it already is. We need to avoid that at all costs."

"So then, when are we leaving Aang?" Katara lifted her head to stare into her lover's eyes; worry still there, though the rest of her face conveyed an expression of absoluteness. She was already accepting Azula as free in her mind; she was preparing herself mentally for what might come in the growing days… weeks… or months.

"Tomorrow… we don't have time to linger."

They all seemed to agree as even Suki raised her head and nodded in agreement.

Katara sighed, finally allowing her hold on Aang to relinquish. "Then we need to get inside. Iroh will need to know and we need to begin making preparations." That being true, the group began their return towards the Jasmine Dragon; the slight rumble from Appa as they passed and the seemingly frantic flying of Momo seemed to convey the dense atmosphere as afternoon shifted into night.

**Location: Ba Sing Se – Outside the Outer Wall**

Light footsteps treaded across the hard earth; a sense of confidence about the slender frame of the figure that was approaching the overwhelming vastness, that was the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. Peaceful as the night proposed to one, this was rather aggravating for the former princess who walked with an irritation and annoyance that stressed her concern at the mode of transportation. She had agreed to lend her hand in ridding this pitiful world of the Avatar and his little friends, but this was simply pushing beyond her sense of familiarity. Never in her lifetime had she found such a useless need to walk; considering all that had been done to release her from the shackles that had bound her to the Fire Nation Prison, she would have believed nearly anything possible of the mysterious entity behind the plan that would soon come into play.

Her feet had come to a halt as her path became obscured before the towering obstacle before her; seemingly unthreatened by the barrier that denied her entrance, she allowed a hand to drag lazily across the wall, all the while watching as her nails became jagged and uneven at the notion. Not that she seemed to care; her appearance was hardly anything to be proud of at the moment, which was another irritating result of this long journey. Nothing had been done as of yet to return her to her former status. The very least that could have been provided was a chance for her to regain a former composure… what was she if not her usual intimidating, manipulative self? Try as she might have, to prolong her journey to the worthless capital of the Earth Kingdom, that which commanded her would not falter leaving the once princess, looking as chaotic and disheveled as when her Agni Kai had ended with her traitorous brother and that filth of a water tribe girl.

"It's painfully obvious that I'm here as you desired. What is it you require of me now?"

_You are foolishly hasty to be so abrasive, my princess. One might consider it a means to return you to that which you called a nightmare if you are not careful. _

An eyebrow arched, as Azula's hand continued to drag across the wall for a moment longer. "Well then my Lord, I hope you'll _forgive_ the impertinence. A bit in my nature to be as…abrasive as you might call it. I would rather return to my nightmare however than have you telling me, how I would act. If I recall, I'm doing you the favor by being your little puppet, right?" As though longing for some form of response, she sighed dejectedly and continued. "I'm under the impression you can't do this without me; harsh tone and all but it's something you'll have to grow quite used to considering I'll be on whatever little throne you decide to build in the near future." Her hand fell with a light smirk as she turned away from the mighty wall and quite casually, fell back against it, with a slump.

Silence ensued in what Azula assumed was the necessary time to process her words. Yes, she still was able to have that effect on people; even all powerful voices that posed abilities that struck her interests beyond her imagination. Why admit to such a thing though? As of now, she felt a slight sparkle within her… almost as though she was in power. She rather enjoyed that particular feeling… missed it and had longed for it so greatly during her imprisonment.

_My, my… you are quite the individual after all. Two years has done very little to demean you of your wit, I see. _

Flattery. Tch, if that was what he was going on, then he might be getting somewhere. She kind of missed that too, now that she thought about it.

_Foolish though, you are quite ahead of yourself my princess. I chose you because you are the most capable due to your fierce desire to see that which stands before me dead. Do not think for a second that you are any more special than just that; you were merely the most convenient tool in my range of search. I am quite sure that there are many more that would love to take your place… your father for example would make as good a tool as any. _

The mention of her father had caused a tense atmosphere around Azula as she seemed to grasp something within the voice that echoed through her head.

_I have your attention I see. Yes your father would be just as suitable… if not better than you. I am quite sure he would love to have his bending returned with him and his title as Phoenix King restored. It would be a slight bit more troublesome, perhaps, but I feel that a pawn that knows his place is better than a princess to weak and feeble minded to realize when to silence herself._

"Alright… I get it."

_Do you? You would be foolish to miscalculate and assume that I shall be this hospitable as to waste my breath a second time, unnecessarily. _

She ground her teeth angrily, before her arms crossed, in bitter defeat… for now. "What is it; I shall be doing here in Ba Sing Se?"

_Your escape from the Fire Nation has not gone unnoticed. The Avatar and his comrades will be departing soon… perhaps even later today if the chance arrives. However… I have a desire to see his ability firsthand so to say._

"Don't mean to sound abrasive as you like to call it, but will you get to the point?"

If she hadn't been mistaken, a laugh was emanating from the voice. That… seemed so very out of place as she shuddered against her will.

_You will enter Ba Sing Se and wage an attack upon the Avatar… him specifically. You need not worry that you will be alone; I would not allow such a thing but do not ask me what aid you will be receiving. When the time is right, you will come to know the entirety of my plan._

She sighed annoyed at being left in the dark, but held her tongue… with great difficulty. "And if I get the chance…do you wish for me to –"

_That chance will not come; strong as you might be my princess, I believe the Avatar to be too much for you, when not even your father could bring him to his end. There is something you can do however… I desire to see a glimpse of his power. I desire to see the Avatar State. You, Azula… must make that happen._

Azula nodded absentmindedly before pushing off against the wall and smiling. "So be it. "

**Location: Ba Sing Se – Upper Ring: Residence to Avatar Aang**

It seemed rather quiet as the two males approached the lake; it was a bit convenient that their house had come with their own personal lake, though perhaps that was the benefits of living within the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.

Aang's gray eyes looked over the small lake as the moon reflected like that of a mirror. A small sigh before he smiled and glanced towards Sokka, who seemed lost within his own thoughts. "You wanted to talk to me about something, Sokka? And… it apparently couldn't wait until morning?" He shook his head as the weariness of no sleep was beginning to get to him. If they were to be leaving today, Aang would prefer to be as alert as possible. Yet Sokka had said this was of the highest importance… and so here they were.

"Yeah… well since Iroh sleeps like he's in some sort of coma, I thought I'd come seek out your Avatar-y wisdom."

Silence ensued for a moment.

"…So…I'm thinking about finally making a betrothal necklace for Suki?"

"Oh? Wait… what'd you say?"

"I've already waited a year past what I was supposed to if I was going by Northern Water Tribe Customs."

"Well yeah… but you're from the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka. Those customs wouldn't apply to you."

Sokka sighed, shaking his head as though this seemed hopeless. "You don't understand Aang. My Gran-Gran is like… eighty-something and she got married finally. I'm technically a descendant of the Northern Water Tribe if you consider it and I'm totally making a fool of myself by not having done this properly."

Aang's inquisitive glance turned upon the water tribe soldier. "I… I understand where you're coming from Sokka, but how does this really require my wisdom?"

"Uhm… well it's not so much about just me. I've already decided that I'll propose to Suki. I'm kind of worried about you, to be honest."

"Me…" Aang seemed generally confused about how their conversation had suddenly turned to focus upon him. "Why would you be concerned about…" Something seemed to click as he felt his face warm and he immediately stumbled away from the male and lake and fell backwards. "Why should I be worried about marriage, right now Sokka?"

Sokka laughed but did nothing but shrug."Oh, I don't know. Considering Katara is now sixteen, she's officially in place for her marriage to be arranged. You should know that considering my past with Yue… and considering how I was just talking about Suki and I being a year late."

Aang seemed to calm himself as he sat there thinking. The idea of… marrying Katara? It caused a slight frown to fall upon the Air Nomad's face before he shook his head. "…I don't know, Sokka. I care for Katara more than my own life. I'd do anything to make her happy and I don't think that will ever change but… I'm just not sure that I'd be right."

Sokka smirked before laying down beside the Airbender; arms folded behind his head. "I think… that she can't do any better than you. I mean you're the Avatar for crying out loud. Plus, I can't say I'm up for the idea of having anyone else in my family. We've been friends for years now and I doubt there's anyone more dedicated to making her happy and protecting her than you, Aang." Turning his blue eyes towards the Airbender, he smiled a cheerful smile before yawning.

"Would it be allowed?

Silence.

"Hm… I can't see why it shouldn't be. If Suki and I can wed and I'm not allowing anything to stop us; then you and Katara can certainly do so. I've actually thought about this for a while… odd as that sounds, it's about time that I take all this into consideration. I am pretty darn sure that Katara feels the same way as you do Aang. You guys have been happy since uniting that day after the war's end and nothing's separated you yet. You're afraid for the same reasons I am. I'm practically a nobody; I'm just a guy with a boomerang, remember?" He smiled as he remembered the first time he said those words and laughed. "Remember that I never asked for all this flying and magic… but now that I've been through all this, I'm happy we freed you from that iceberg."

Aang smiled slightly as he glanced down at Sokka, who shrugged nonchalantly and continued. "We fear that we're not going to do a good job. The fear that we'll be horrible husbands, even worse fathers, and all that nonsense is to be expected, or so I hear." He waved his hand through the air as if pushing it aside. "The only choice we have is to _walk _past our fears and stand tall with the ones we want, right? Just have to stay one step ahead of the fear… at least until we die anyways." He laughed and soon, Aang followed suit.

"Hm. I guess I've got some thinking to do."

"Yep, guess so. Better not waste too much time. She won't always wait."

"Thanks for the advice, Sokka. Will the celebration be taking place after all then?"

Sokka blinked before sitting up. "Why would it?"

"You're going to propose aren't you? That's a cause for celebration."

Sokka smirked and stood, offering a hand to Aang. The light conversation continued unbeknownst that someone was celebrating her current success of entering Ba Sing Se.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is – Chapter Two. This was a particularly difficult chapter for me to write because I was unsure of what to put here. It actually turned out quite a bit longer than expected and I even decided against the idea of having Azula appear before Aang and the gang until the next chapter. By the way, it's something I'm looking forward to quite a bit; the first action sequence of the story and I assure you, it's shall be an interesting and surprising one to say the least.

I'm not really one for spoilers, but it just so happens that this fight will shape much for what is planned for the future of this story. I apologize if this chapter seemed rather dragged out and I attempted to make it humorous as I covered a few things that seemed important for later on in the story. I got the idea to include Sokka and Aang's talk of marriage while watching the Siege of the North Pole the morning I planned to post this. It may seem a bit random, but if you'll have noticed, Aang's insecurity is very much a great focus towards the story. He won't be the only one though as I think I've pointed out nicely.

As for Azula and the mysterious voice; I didn't dive deep as I would have liked to, but I felt as though I was overdoing this chapter as it was. I would greatly appreciate to hear all your reviews and thoughts on this chapter; what your insight is very much important and motivates me. I also think that your opinions and thoughts greatly affect how I might seem to write, so I need all the constructive criticism I can get.

That's all for this author's note. ^^

Hope to see all of you and more in the next chapter.

**Next Chapter: Eternal Flames**

_"Aang, you must actively shape your own destiny, and the destiny of the World." _ **– **Avatar Kuruk


	3. Eternal Flames, Part One: Lightning’s Re

**Avatar: The Psalms of Spirits**

Chapter Three: Eternal Flames, Part One: Lightning's Requiem

By: Rynnescent

**Disclaimer:** I wanted to own Avatar so I went to talk Michael and Bryan about becoming a co-owner... Yeah, I got struck by lightning. Enough said.

* * *

**Location: Fire Nation – Capital City: Royal Palace**

The day was only beginning yet it was nothing short of prolonged and inescapable. Yet it seemed that such was the life that was now to be lived when given the title of Fire Lord. Perhaps in all honesty, it should have been expected but there had always been a lingering thought as to what would truly come of this appointment. A persistent thought that had turned into nothing but a wasted string of hope; to think that after rising to such great heights, things would become like this? A life that consisted of nothing more than sitting upon a throne and giving the orders that sent others out to do his bidding? Perhaps his father and grandfather had taken enjoyment in such things… the idea of commanding all who resided within this nation had definitely appealed greatly towards them. Such things however were merely a part of his duty however, yet over the course of these two years, the crowned lord, Zuko, had begun to suspect otherwise. What a shame it was that after the time he had spent, running around the world; chasing the Avatar and then traveling alongside him…things had turned towards this lifestyle.

Not that he minded being the Fire Lord; that was actually a title he found he could live with. It was far better than the title of 'exiled prince' in his opinion. Even if being exiled had been the greatest thing that had ever happened to Zuko, he could not find himself accepting that he particularly enjoyed the hardship that came with it. Respected it, maybe but never enjoyed it. He was a person who pushed through whatever was set before him; he was an individual who now believed more than ever that one could shape their own destiny with their own hands instead of allowing others to do so for him. It was that wisdom and train of thought that eventually brought him this far and as such, he could not complain about his life anymore. It had all been like a test that now led to this moment. All the hardships…all the pain and suffering had been to prepare him for his destiny; the one he was now fulfilling. It was thoughts like those that made living a lifestyle such as this worth it and tolerable.

The Fire Lord Zuko found himself sighing for a great deal of reasons as he sat upon the throne. The day was only beginning and yet, things had begun more slowly than usual it seemed. Perhaps it was anxiety getting the best of him, and how could it not with the past couple of days' recent events? His sister had broken out of 'prison' – it seemed to keep her more sane… - if that was possible - than the idea of mental facility – and since then, Zuko had grown tense with concern. Not in the least bit for himself, but for everyone else around him; he knew he should have placed her under stricter confinement, but was now sorry to say he had taken, a friend's words to heart. The distinct 'conversation' concerning Azula had taken place all those years ago:

"_Aang, she's unstable… consumed by madness. We can't allow her to be treated specially, simply because she's my sister."_

_Silence ensued for the moment, their eyes met; it had been unusual to see such wisdom bore behind the eyes of someone who looked like nothing more than a child. Yet he knew better than to misjudge the Avatar, whose gaze seemed only too concerned with something that seemed, rather foolhardy. _

"_She IS your sister though, Zuko. I know you shouldn't be inclined to give her any sort of care that would make you seem more preferential of her–"_

"_Are you kidding me? She's tried to kill us… you for almost half a year now. She's succeeded in killing you before and you want to allow her the sanctity of less strict confinement? To be treated like the others here? She's not like them in the least; she's far worse. Yet you want me to allow her the tender care and love a princess should have. You want her to be treated like every other patient here, when she's not in the least like them?"_

_A sigh before more silence._

"_She didn't ask for this, Zuko… she didn't ask to become this way. She deserves a chance to get better but she won't get that by following the curriculum you've decided for her."_

_Irritation and frustration as the newly appointed Fire Lord brushed the back of his hand across his brow. "If I am to go by your decision, I think it only proper that there be a few moderate changes at the very least. I know you're a trusting person Aang and that you believe there is good within everyone, but you don't know her. She's no longer the composed and methodical little princess that chased us around anymore."_

_It seemed that there was nothing more that could be convinced beyond Zuko's words. "As long as you are taking my idea to heart… then I am satisfied."_

How right he had been and even through the close monitoring of Azula twenty-four seven, she had still managed to escape. How though… was the true mystery that was weaved within all this confusion. His chin resting atop his entwined hands, he glanced down upon the tailor who happened to be adjusting the hem of his robes. Why this was happening now, he couldn't really understand, yet there seemed to always have been a slight argument between the elder sages of the Fire Nation when concerning the proper donning of his clothing. Honestly, Zuko couldn't think of anything more pathetic to bicker about, but he sought no desire to dismiss their 'traditional' qualms; in truth it brought a bit of entertainment though he would never come to admit such. His head tilted slightly upon his hands, as his golden eyes averted from the task being performed, and instead found his attention redirected towards the opening of the palace doors as the small group of Fire Sages appeared before the presence.

Zuko could not help but find that his fate that would hold yet another lecture appearing before him as he sat himself up slightly to listen to the latest word within the Fire Nation, the world… but more importantly, word of his sister and her whereabouts. He had done his best to keep such an event a secret at the time; if rumor were to spread, then chaos would erupt around the world. His thoughts turned idly to the Treaty of the Four Nations and found the thought of it all being dismissed – by his fault, no less – something that could not be allowed. More than happy to know that the treaty had been finalized – he had no problem believing that things would go well, especially with Aang going through the negotiations – he could now focus upon the current more troublesome matter at hand. He cleared his throat slightly as the Fire Sages bowed before him and found a slight smile appear upon his face as they then rose. His hand lifted from the armrest of his throne as he beckoned toward the tailor, whose head lifted under the movement.

"You've been working for a little over two hours now. I'd think a break was certainly in order." The tailor found himself looking back towards the Fire Sages, before suddenly realizing the urgency of this matter and bowing towards Zuko quickly. He was heading towards the door without haste as Zuko's golden eyes left his back and turned towards the Fire Sages, once more.

He found that he could already see what was to come from this gathering; The Fire Sages would update him, but there would be nothing new, in his opinion. Zuko could already assume that much and it was that truth, which brought stress towards the young adult. No news meant that his sister was taking things under consideration, if not lashing out and destroying all that stood before her. Taking that into account, Zuko still had to wonder, what it was that brought them here, if there was not even one piece of news that was remotely significant. His hand fell slightly again as it rested upon the armrest of the throne and he found himself gazing intently as he awaited the news that was to be presented to him. Despite all attempts at not showing how bored he was, Zuko was unsure how much longer, he could hold this farce of his. It was not as if, the situation itself was boring, considering the circumstances…but Zuko had yet to find himself even moving away from his throne since he had first come upon it that morning. It was rather saddening to be perfectly honest, and he found himself contemplating the idea of wandering the palace after this debriefing or even finding his soon to be 'Fire Lady'. She was far more fortunate than he; still asleep in bed, he would have thought though, who could ever know with someone like Mai? His mind refocused as the group of sages appeared before the elevated platform that housed Lord Zuko. The flames surrounding him and lowering slightly as they bowed slightly once more one by one, he nodded in return and blinked, precariously. The last to rise was the Great Sage himself as he seemed to take a step away from the group and towards Zuko. Being the head of the 'religious' group, he would deliver any word that there was to be given.

"Fire Lord Zuko, we thought you should be informed on the proceedings concerning the recon, about to deploy for the scouting mission, which we requested. You have yet to ask much on this matter, despite your concern with your younger sister. The other sages and I are concerned with how you are dealing with her escape." The sage halted his speech for a moment as Zuko's gaze lowered from the elder sage. His hand rose to his chin for a moment as he pondered the words said before him; he had been aware of this, indeed, yet he had not displayed much interest simply because he knew they would find nothing if Azula did not wish to be found.

He sighed slightly out of annoyance as he considered this for a moment… considered his words for answering the question that was hidden within their concern. "Before my banishment, many of you watched me grow and the same goes as well for my sister. You've seen how she became and then watched her crumble at the defeat of Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and myself." Pausing for a moment, Zuko frowned before closing his eyes. "More than anything, you should know that no good will come from this; Azula is quite insane, but apparently not so foolish as to let her anger and madness control her, else the world would already be within a state of chaos." The Sages glanced at each other, before a slight murmur of agreement at his words. They could not deny the truth that was left by Zuko and they were easily beginning to understand his viewpoint as they turned their eyes back upon him.

"Understand that I am not overlooking the matter, but merely taking things into a clearer view of perspective. From what I was told, Azula's unstable actions began once my father had decided she would replace him as Fire Lord. That weight is no longer upon her shoulders, so I feel that she is not as mentally crippled as she might have been anymore. She's taking things slower else, I would be her first target. Wouldn't you agree?"

Again, the sages turned to each other, speculating on their Fire Lord's words. Zuko watched them idly as their mumbles seemed to have been those of agreement; they nodded once more and Zuko smiled lightly, before lifting his hand and wiping away a bead of sweat from his brow.

"What would you have us do then, Fire Lord Zuko?" The Elder Sage had spoken up again; a slight bit of concern, possibly from the fact that if Azula was reverting back to her calculating and cold self, things might be more troublesome than during her stage of madness. Zuko found that he was thinking along the same lines as he took a breath, and allowed a frown to spread across his face, in deep thought. There really was much to consider at this juncture but there was also the thought of making no mistake with such a thing. Whether or not, Zuko was the Fire Lord, there could be no screwing such an important matter. He could either make the right decision or the wrong one; in Zuko's opinion, mistakes could not be allowed, for not all within this nation were loyal to the Fire Lord. Any reason to have Zuko out casted again and they would surely strike accurately in their attempt to do so. He had a need to be sure for himself and he found he would have to do so without the sanction of his palace or title. Azula… she was his responsibility… his family despite the overwhelming desire for that not to be true. He felt himself grow slightly perturbed at the thought but was there really any other choice in the matter?

"More or less, things are as I thought… for now though, I wish for you to wait until I summon you in the future. Before the arrival of the Avatar, I won't make any hasty decisions. It is not only our nation that is in peril, but the entire world and I think we need far more wisdom than I hold." The Fire Sages accepted his words and bowed before taking their leave from Zuko's presence and leaving the Fire Lord to his thoughts. He found that he could hardly remain statuesque for long before he removed himself from his seated position and descended from the platform. Whether or not it was unorthodox, Zuko was not necessarily interested on such as he too departed through the still open doors. Raising his hand swiftly to halt the speech that came from the guards beside the door, Zuko simply continued walking in the direction of his bedroom.

It was a short walk and one that was done in stealth before his hands fell upon the door. Hesitation swam within him, before pushing the doors open slowly. He did not find it all that surprising, that his previous assumptions were correct; Mai was indeed still asleep. A small smile replaced the tender frown that had been upon his face for the majority of the meeting and immediately his hand rose to remove the five pronged headpiece that symbolized his role as Fire Lord. He allowed the top-knot, keeping his hair held in place to fall lazily as Zuko placed the royal item upon a dresser and made to remove the rest of his unnecessary attire. Unorthodox as it was, Zuko had need to expand a bit of energy and he could not find himself enjoying the idea of being snapped at for ruining his royal clothing. He removed the long robe, which still had yet to be finished tailored. Laying the item upon his bed, he sat himself at its edge, in naught but a pair of shorts – he had not worn such since his time on Ember Island –, before holding his head within his hands.

"What exactly am I supposed to do about all of this?" He found himself not troubled about the fact that he was speaking to himself; he was more or less calling out to someone, but he would not expect them to hear. It was pathetic to find himself always relying upon such a thing. He was the Fire Lord now… he needed to step up and embrace his destiny; his own wisdom had led through two years thus far, yet that did little to reconcile the confusion and frustration within him. "Uncle… this is one of those times again, where I could really use your wisdom." He sighed, cursing the fact that his uncle had decided to remain in Ba Sing Se. He soon found it stupid though to feel so selfish; it was good news on one particular end that his uncle had decided such a thing; it meant that there would be protection if Azula was to strike the Earth Kingdom. He had no choice but to rely on himself this time. He had been alone many times in his life before; some decisions made were wrong and others were right. Which would this come to be, though?

"Moping again, Zuko?"

Mai had awoken and was now moving across the bed to lazily let herself lean across her lover's back; her arms dangling limply over his shoulder as her emotionless gaze captured his own.

He shook his head, before smiling slightly. "Hardly. Just trying to understand what I'm supposed to do. Azula's escape couldn't have come at a worse time, and what's worse is the fact, that I don't understand anything about how it happened. No signs or anything and she's different… she's not doing anything irrational which must mean that she's actually focused. She has a plan… I just don't know what it is."

An eyebrow arched as Mai pushed away from Zuko, letting herself fall back onto her pillow. "You know, I only asked if you were moping. I didn't need an entire play by play of your deepest concerns and worries." A heavy sigh escaped between her parted lips, before she seemed to return to her state of slumber.

A tinge of annoyance as Zuko turned his head back to look at her, scowl in place. A slight opening of her eyes before they rolled and shut once more. "So she's thinking, big deal. It's a surprise, yeah, but there's nothing you can do until she acts. You're not going to know how she truly is until her first strike so stop excessively worrying over it. It's really annoying, you know."

It shouldn't have been so annoying how right she was, but Zuko couldn't help it when she was so lifeless with her words. Letting his hands fall into his hands again, he sighed. "You're right."

"Yeah, I know. It's a reason you keep me around, stupid." She looked at him with those same uncharacteristic, emotionless eyes; a certain seriousness to her as he glanced at her through his fingers. She was hardly helping the way her eyes bore into him, but that was probably the point. They stared at one another a moment longer, her head falling to the side as if the change of view would change something between the two.

It wouldn't and didn't in her opinion, as she sighed and removed herself from the bed.

Her sentiment seemed to be shared by the Fire Lord as he smiled and watched her leave; rude as it might have been, Zuko found quite a lot to be said in their silent engagements. They had hardly ever been one for the great display of emotions, considering Zuko had long since gaze up letting his rage and hatred rule his actions and life. It was a point of his life that he was not particularly keen on revisiting; such memories made Zuko ashamed, though it had been his hatred and rage that led him through his path. Perhaps that might have seemed foolish… to say that his anger and mistakes could be overlooked now that it had all led to this, but Zuko could hardly consider this all a coincidence. Far from such, actually. He had been defined by his actions and he accepted that; he had come to accept all his actions, good or bad and had learned from them, hadn't he?

"How long are you going to sit there?"

"How long are you going to continue moping?"

A slight huff filled the room as he looked towards the passage leading to their bathe to find her leaning in the doorway, and watching him, her brow arched. He sighed vehemently and stood to face her. Her face fell fractionally before she gave a curt nod and stepped fully into the room. They stood mere inches apart before she began circling him with an almost sense of predatory grace, her gold eyes examining every bit of him, all the while, he was rolling his eyes. When she reached his front again, she simply stared at him. Zuko was finding the urge to leave rising with every second as he redirected his gaze towards the large window and balcony. It was a moment, where he believed he was seeing things, yet his eyes widened as his arms suddenly pushed against his lover before him – sending her onto the bed – just as a stream of fire shattered the fragile glass windows and consumed the entirety of the room.

The roar of the flames drowned out the surprise and fear within Mai as the fire began to engulf the room. Rolling onto all fours, she leapt from the bed and towards the descending chamber leading towards the bathroom, before stopping. Her gaze fell on the figure still consumed within the fire. "Zuko…" She could do nothing more but watch, with intensifying surprise as the figure began to show more clearly; the flames seemingly dissipating into nothingness. Zuko's augmentation of the flames brought the area to nothing but a smolder as he glanced out the window, towards a seemingly unknown entity. She had begun to make her way toward him, before a hand rose.

"Don't move."

Her gaze went from confusion to anger in an instant as a lone figure landed lightly on the balcony in a crouch. Dressed in nothing but the commoner's clothing of a normal firebender – with the slight exception, that it had all seemed to have been died black –, and face hidden by a scarf, pure black eyes was all that could be seen as the figure entered the bedroom and stood before Zuko.

Zuko was long past surprised as he allowed his hand to fall; all focus returning forward as a slight smirk might have crept onto his face. "An assassination attempt? Is Azula too frightened to try and kill me herself?" The assassin hesitated slightly, before dashing towards the Fire Lord. It was a bit of a surprise, to see that this would come down to hand-to-hand, but Zuko tensed slightly; it would not matter how this went, as the end result would be the same. "Are you planning to gain more satisfaction through this or—" He sidestepped a punch, and ducked beneath a well aimed kick, before stepping back a few feet. "—will you be better rewarded if this is done by your own hands?" The assassin said nothing but pressed on his relentless assault, forcing Zuko to have to be rather light on his feet.

The elusive movements of Zuko continued; almost as though he was dancing as he flipped over a chair, while also kicking hard and shooting the tall object towards his opponent. It broke in an instant however as chips of the chair blew apart and set aflame. Not stopping in the least, another flame shot forth and knocked him off his feet. He heard Mai's call of concern as his head hit the floor and brought forth the slight number of stars. He blinked before noticing the incoming, descending bomb of fire reaching out towards his face. His instinct seemed to react for him as, he planted his hands above his head and pushed against the ground, using his hands now as his feet, though only momentarily as he quickly spun, the rings of fire shooting outwards and reacting with the bomb.

The explosion was riveting as the two separated from each other. The bedchamber in all due honesty could hardly be recognized as the smoldering walls and splinters remaining from the dressers and bed scattered across the ground. The ground marred and deformed by the explosion and a large crater lie within its center. Over a dozen flames had ignited in the room as Zuko brought himself to all fours. The smoke billowing forth and masking the entirety of the room, made him cautious as his gold eyes glanced around the remains. There was something wrong… more wrong than the entirety of this attempt at his life. Where were the royal guards… anyone…? Had this all been planned? What was going on?

"ZUKO!"

He knew something was the matter, before the smoke had cleared enough for him to see. In the middle of the crater stood the assassin, clearly unharmed by the blast, though with a new addition to his person; Mai held tightly within his grip. Across from him, Zuko stood slowly, his gaze narrowing as he fought his desire to react irrationally. It had been a mistake for him to have returned here; at the very least, this could have occurred within the Throne Room, where no one would come to harm. Now here Mai was, to be used as bait for Zuko's demise.

In truth, he had only one idea at mind and it wasn't a very good one at that. "Exchange. Her for me. It's what you want, isn't it?"

"What are you thinking, Zuko? Fire Lord for a no–"

"Shut up, Mai."

She could stare in shock as Zuko took a step forward towards the two. "Let her go."

"Why?!" she muttered, shocked. "You're a failure… giving up your entire nation for me?"

"She is correct." The voice was so broken and chilled even through the flat tone. Black eyes bore emotionlessly at the target before him.

Zuko's head tilted aside before returning the stare. "If I can't save her, I don't deserve this title anyways."

"You're a failure," he said repeating, Mai's words simply. "Sacrificing one for many. Azula was right to wish for you to be killed." He turned away from the Fire Lord, before his grip upon his prisoner tightened; there had been a second where Zuko did not believe it would happen, yet that second could not have been more wasted as she was thrown from the room, followed by the large stream of fire that engulfed her and her screams.

Horror overtook him as he shot forth, the orange flames projecting themselves from his feet as Zuko propelled quickly past the assassin, disregarding all concern for himself as the flame dissipated from around her immediately as his hand closed around her own.

"Foolish." Zuko's head turned as he pulled the frail body closer to him. Zuko's eyes narrowed, at the sight of the explosion coming from his bedroom; dust and debris pillowing from the room as the sound of screams below sent a flash of anger to the Fire Lord. Hardly able to turn his focus to those below, he propelled himself and Mai through the scattering remains of the balcony. It was hardly unexpected to find the enhanced size fireballs also descending upon the two, yet that seemed to only motivate Zuko as his feet aimed towards the sky and unleashed a torrent of flames, sending them towards the ground and his flames to intercept all that was chaotically continuing its downward spiral towards the citizens of the Capital.

Zuko landed lightly on his feet as his mind began running through methods of ending this as quickly as possible. Setting Mai down easily, his golden eyes gazing towards the sky to see his opponent bounding for him; right arm completely engulfed in fire. Zuko stood fully before his gaze turned towards those gathering around them.

"Don't stray away." His tone turned as calm as he could manage, before his eyes closed for a moment. They had all looked towards Zuko, confused before nodding and accepting his request; instead they grew closer around him and a slight wave of surprise overcame them as they glanced at the figure laying beside his feet. Try as he might, Zuko could not block out their murmurs, but rather, he allowed himself to focus more on the problem growing all the more closer. This was growing too far out of hand as he noted his opponent's range and positioning. He would end this, despite the protests in his heart; there was no other way, but he would need to wait for the opportune moment. His gold eyes shone again as the wall of fire erupted around him and encased him. Within a second's notice, it expanded to surround every other citizen as the shield ran through them, but caused no signs of harm. His eyes narrowed as he looked up just in time to see his defense put to the test. The fist collided with no restraint but showed no sign of damage or wear as the relieved sighs escaped a many number of citizens. Despite his abilities, Zuko would hardly be able to keep such a shield going for them, while also fighting. He could not stay on the defensive however if this was to come to an end, so it only left a matter of how fast Zuko could bring an end to this, before another civilian was harmed. The onslaught of beating against the sphere of fire continued as Zuko simply watched… examined and paid close attention. Timing was everything. He could end this all with one simple strike if possible. He had confirmed his earlier assessment then on his course of action.

The assassin leapt back quite a few yards; his fist once more becoming engulfed in flames though it grew even more combustible. The charged shot preparing itself as the flames surrounding his arm grew in size and intensity. It would come down to this moment then as the sphere dissipated.

His gaze lowered slightly, halting on the slender frame of the person he had put in danger. "Take her and retreat to safety, now." There was the unison of, "Yes, Fire Lord Zuko" before he turned his attention towards the priority; not wishing to see her body being taken away. A feeling of calmness overcame him as their eyes met; gold and black, before the fight continued. The assassin charging forward and reaching out, in a vain attempt as Zuko stepped forward, closing their distance too close before batting the arm, upwards. Continuing the fluid movement, he stepped forward, placing his right palm across the black clad assassin, before exerting his force and sending his attacker back a few feet. A small smirk appearing on the Fire Lord's face as he continued forward in stride, his left hand drawing back, while accumulating in its center was a the charged fire bomb.

Still staggering back was the assassin before his pupil-less black eyes seemingly widened at the close proximity of Zuko's attack. Completely caught off guard, the figure stumbled backwards, while at the same time, producing a shield of fire between the two. It hardly mattered though as Zuko danced to the side, with ease; he was moving effortlessly, his concentration fully intact as his feet ignited propelling himself the final distance, before thrusting his hand towards the assassin.

Impact causing the bomb to conflagrate and erupt. The intensity of the attack bringing forth an explosion that roared throughout the coronation temple and plaza. The overlapping craters and crisscrossing fissures as pillars splintered off and began to fall. The smoke rising forth, swirling and dancing in the breeze that was conjured forth; the entire scene had turned into something of a surreal battlefield. A slight waver throughout the smoke; lingering shadows dancing about before Zuko's slim figure exited the smoke in a dive roll; stopping at a crouch as the assassin came crashing down into a kneel. First sight showed no signs of harm to either one, before the assassin stood fully, revealing the harsh burns covering his forearms. They hung limply and judging by their distortion and appearance, the burns were of the third degree.

Zuko sighed lightly, not allowing his gaze to linger on the result of his attack. "Give up. You know you can't kill me now that I've taken away your arms."

Instead of answering, the action continued; assassin bounding forward towards Zuko before leaping and twisting in midair. His body orienting itself upside down, before his foot was brought down hard, attempting to crush Zuko. Gold eyes widened, caught off guard, before Zuko quickly managed to lift his left forearm up in time; he felt the blow connect solidly and cursed under his breath as he felt a slight crack. Hardly willing to allow the attack to go without some form of compensation, he extended his left arm and grabbing the left tightly, allowed his weight to shift as his hips turned and spun. The result was as Zuko had wished as he threw the assassin; meanwhile, the pain in his arm throbbing before Zuko sighed and closed his eyes. It would come down to this… his mind emptying… focusing… all for the sake of one final strike:

"_There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning._"

His uncle's words clearing ringing through him, as his arms began at a unison above his head before arcing in a circle before stopping at his waist. It had taken Zuko a year before his body was mentally and physically prepared to handle this technique. It had taken another year for him to train himself to the point of being able to generate lightning within one simple and fluid motion. Both hands extended forward, index finger and middle finger pointed out at the assassin as the positive and negative energy crashed together and exploded out of him.

The assassin's head had lifted barely in time to see Zuko lunging forward; the bolt of lightning shooting out at him in a flash. It was over within a second as the assassin smirked behind the scarf concealing him. The charge surged through his body effortlessly and the effects were instant and fatal as the foe collapsed face forward, unmoving ever again.

Breathing somewhat heavily, Zuko stared for a moment in contemplation, before he approached the fallen figure. Crouching down beside the black clad figure, he rolled him over gently before closing his eyes in agony. He had hardly expected this much chaos to come; he had expected Azula to attack him, herself, but apparently he was not worth the effort. The slight grunt caused Zuko to look at the male in surprise.

"You're alive…"

"Not… for long…" The raspy voice whispered out, causing Zuko to lean forward slightly.

"I'm sorry… I didn't really want to resort to this."

"You did me a favor. I was dying regardless; you've simply sped up the process… eased me of the pain. She did not believe you would deal such a blow."

Of course she didn't. In turn, she would have been right, yet Zuko had no other choice. He could hardly afford to prolong the battle between them; not when Mai was waiting for him. Still though, there were questions that needed to be answered and quickly.

"Generating lightning… she did not think you'd be able to do so if angered."

That statement struck Zuko as odd, as a moment passed before thoughts began to clink in place.

"I'm not angry with you, so I didn't have a problem focusing myself enough to do so." He paused for a moment, before standing. "I do have a question though… what is Azula planning."

A slight grunt before a fit of coughing; Zuko preferred not to watch the sight as he noticed the slight cling, the front of his clothing held. He was bleeding from Zuko's attack… "I have done my part; I have broken you through that which you could not protect and the same will happen to your friends and the Avatar."

Fists clenching, before Zuko began walking away; he had to make sure he was wrong. He would not lose anything today… or ever again. He had focused his sights on the circle; surrounding that which he cared about and he immediately began running… running though already knowing what would await him. Faltering, he staggered as he came to the outside of the circle. Grief and anger filling him as he had no need to push his way through the crowd; opening up to him, he crouched down beside her… his love. This… it reminded him too much of the time where he believed he might have lost his uncle; this was just as worse as he stared at her calm face. She was looking up at him, with a slight smile before he sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I. You're such a horrible Fire Lord, Zuko."

He laughed at that, before shaking his head, hair falling over his eyes. "You don't have to tell me; I was aware, the moment I let him get a hold of you."

There was silence before she began breathing heavily, in ragged gasps. He lowered his head as to not allow his face to show to anyone; no one here could heal her. The only one who could possibly hold any chance of doing so was leagues away, in Ba Sing Se. This was his fault… this was it… the mistake that everyone would have been waiting for as he rested his forehead against hers.

"If you let her become Fire Lord, I'll haunt you forever."

He could say nothing to that.

"I love you Zuko. You can't allow the Fire Nation to fall though… I love you but if you allow the world to be plunged into chaos again, then I will never forgive you. Promise me and don't you dare think about breaking it."

"…I promise."

"Great. Guess I'll be going… wherever I go then. Maybe the Spirit World or some weird unnatural place. Make sure you let Aang visit me if I do wind up there."

"Yeah…, right after this is all settled."

"I like you the way you are… don't let Azula change you back to someone who relies on hate." Mai's final words as her eyes closed, and her face settled into its final moments… a smile for her love.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So here is Part one of Eternal Flames and it's quite the start, I'm thinking. I found it pretty difficult actually to write this chapter; mainly the fighting scenes as I don't really do that, despite my great love for them. I realized though that I couldn't just continue to have them talking throughout the entire story and as you'll also see, the losses are starting early for Team Avatar ~ Getting rid of Mai wasn't something that was done off a whim; there's a lot of importance behind it that I hope will become clear in later chapters. Some of you might gain a few ideas from this chapter alone and others might not. At the same time however, I've left a few cliffhangers from what I've been told and that actually made me laugh a bit. I tend to do that without realizing, but everything has a purpose so don't be disappointed in me.

I'm hoping that this chapter was enjoyable and I'd love to have your opinion on it. The flame has only just been ignited as Part Two will turn towards Ba Sing Se. There will be a pattern to this, just so you know. Eternal Flames is in four parts and there are two characters that are the main focus of each part. Which two will be next, I'll leave a surprise until next chapter's release ~ The fighting will continue though as will a great deal of surprises.

Hope to see you all next time ~

**Next Chapter: Eternal Flames, Part 2 – A Warrior's Heart**


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